ESP/LTD Pickups?

I'm sure there is a really old post on here somewhere (I couldn't find it) that gives this info, but figured I would take the easy way out and let someone in the know help and get a warm fuzzy:

Is there any info on the tone/output that the ESP pickups have compared to say Seymour Duncan or Dimarzio pickups? The Ibanez site is pretty specific as to which pickups theirs are modeled after. Any thing like that offered here? Specifically, I'm wondering if I should expect to change the stock pickup out of my on the way GL-200.

I hear where you are coming from with the OEM pickups. I almost always assume I'll have to pull them out and put in what I want for my own tastes. However, sometimes I just let my ears decide for me, and I'd say almost 50% of the time, OEM stuff is good enough and I just leave it alone. But if you plug it into a good rig and you still aren't getting the tone you crave, I guess switching to aftermarket can't hurt.

If you want to be "real" with a GL-20, put in a Duncan Screamin Demon. I built my own Lynch tribute guitar years back, and I used that in the bridge. The thing is, it was never hot enough for my tastes. If you want to stay Duncan, I'd just get a Duncan Distortion. They are great for almost any rock and metal. Tons of gain and sustain. Very responsive to harmonics, without a muddy character.

Just make sure you buy Trembucker / F-spaced for that guitar.

If I'm saying stuff you already know, sorry. Better safe than sorry with these things.

Not only that, but on some of those pages, they don't offer any comparisons on other guitars. If I put an S/D screamin demon in my KH series LTD, it will sound way different in ur guitar, made of the same wood and everything, but will sound different. Someone needs to build a page that lists the pros and cons, wire schematics and info on these pups, plus a drop down list of guitars and another for pups and do a mix and match so you can hear what pup sounds best in what guitar. That would rock! Any of you have any web experience?

I'm thinking of it as a jumping off point. If I don't like what I hear, I don't want to put a similar pickup in it. I've put the same pickup in different guitars and sometimes it sounds great, other times awful. I have my stand-bys, but sometimes those don't work. I agree that some OEM pickups are pretty good. The AF1 Ibanez are pretty good, the V series are horrible.

After playing the stock pickup in my GL-200MT, I am very impressed. I'm not sure what other pickup it sounds like, maybe a Dimarzio Steve's Special or Duncan Distortion, but it sounds great and I am NOT going to switch it out.

I'm pleased with the Distortion Mayhems I installed in my Ltd Ax-50. It's a mean sounding weapon now! I play alot of heavy metal and thrash and when i over drive my Line 6, wow, it crunches greatly and screams a lead as well. Glad I got mine, even made my guitar feel different too, not really, it's just a feeling you get when ur used to hearing what ur guitar sounds like, but it "felt" like a different guitar. Those SH-6s do the job...:cool:

Yeah, LH-150s came in my Ax-50, I pulled those out and installed the S/D Distortion Mayhems in their place. It sounded ok the way it was, but now, she's got a nice growl to her and sounds real meaty without being muddy...